The 1963 Christmas saw the issue of a stamp of much larger format than in the previous years.
Issue information
It was felt that the larger size was required to do justice to the chosen painting The Holy Family by Titian which is held at the National Gallery in London.
Stamp Bulletin
This stamp issue first appeared in New Zealand Post Stamp Bulletin No. 28 on 1 July 1963.
Acknowledgments: Bulletin scanned and provided by John Biddlecombe of the New Zealand Society of Great Britain. Their web site offers further information useful to those interested in the stamps and postal history of New Zealand. Link: http://www.nzsgb.org.uk/
Product Listing for Christmas 1963
| Image | Title | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Single Stamp |
Single 2 1/2d 'The Holy Family' gummed stamp. The 1963 Christmas stamp depicted the painting The Holy Family by Titian which now hangs in the National Gallery, London. |
2 1/2d |
Technical information
| Date of issue: | 14 October 1963 |
|---|---|
| Designers: | New Zealand Post Office, Wellington |
| Printers: | Harrison and Sons, England |
| Stamp size: | 40mm x 38.5mm |
| Sheet size: | 60 stamps per sheet |
| Process: | Photogravure |
| Perforation gauge: | 12.25 |
| Paper type: | Chalk surfaced, multiple NZ and star watermark |
| Period of sale: | This stamp remained on sale until 11 January 1964. |